Posts Tagged ‘Irish ferry website’

Fastnet Line is delighted to be associated with the Fastnet Charity Cycle 2011 which will take place on the 1st and 2nd July 2011 in Wales and Ireland.

The event is in aid of three very deserving West Cork based charities, Palliative Care at Castletownbere Hospital, Co-action and Spiritual Care Ireland at the Dechen Shying Spiritual Care Centre also in Castletownbere. Fastnet Line will provide transport for the cyclists to and from Swansea where the first leg of the trip will take place on Friday 1st July.

Commenting on the event, Paul O’Brien General Manager (Ireland) said, “Fastnet Line is delighted to support these wonderful charities and applauds the fantastic efforts of the people of Beara in promoting these worthy causes as well as their local area. We hope everyone will enjoy their time with us and we look forward to helping in any way we can to promote both the charity event and Beara tourism at the same time.”

The return trip will happen overnight on the Friday night with the numbers added to by some Welsh visitors for the second leg from Ringaskiddy to Castletownbere on Saturday 2nd July 2011.

The action begins on Thursday 30th June with the cyclists heading off from Ringaskiddy on board the Julia heading to Swansea overnight. The cyclists will meet with up with their Welsh counterparts and cycle a special route of 100 km which will offer the best south Wales has to offer.

After a long day in the saddle the participants will relax on the Julia with a well deserved meal and who knows a drink or two before getting a good night’s sleep. On Saturday 2nd July the group will leave Ringaskiddy via Carrigaline, Bandon, Bantry and Glengarriff as they head on towards Castletownbere in West Cork. At the finish of this marathon event the cyclists will be welcomed back home to Castletownbere to a huge welcome.

Fastnet Line with it’s Cork to Swansea ferry route celebrates the first anniversary of operations on Thursday 10th March. The first sailing on the route since 2006 took place on this date in 2010 when the Julia set sail from Swansea to Cork.

The re-establishment of the route was a boost to tourism on both sides of the Irish Sea last year and saw Fastnet Line exceed its targets for vehicles and passengers in a highly successful first season. More than 80,000 people travelled on the route between March and December 2010 in a year which saw the importance of access by sea emphasised during the now infamous “ash cloud crisis”.

Fastnet Line has also established a cost effective route for freight in and out of the south of Ireland and the UK and with Swansea directly connecting to the motorway network in the UK the miles saved for hauliers is becoming an increasingly important factor in these times of rising fuel prices.

Commenting on the prospects for 2011, Phil Jones CEO of Fastnet Line said, “We were delighted with our first year of operations and learned a lot but that is in the past now and we look forward to the challenges ahead. We are determined to build on the solid foundations we have created and with tight cost control and an aggressive strategy for marketing in the UK supported once again by our partners in Tourism Ireland we intend to do everything we can to increase numbers this year.”

A new range of value products including short breaks will go on sale from Monday 14th March and Fastnet Line also will continue its policy of targeting major sporting events on both sides of the water including Heineken Cup, Six Nations rugby, Cheltenham Racing Festival, the West Cork Rally and the Racing Home for Easter festival at Cork Racecourse.

Conor Buckley Chairman of West Cork Tourism Co-Op, the owners of Fastnet Line, said, “2011 promises to be a challenging year again for everyone in the tourist industry but the members of the Co-Op are determined to promote themselves strongly in our key market in the UK. We will also encourage everyone to use the route from Cork to Swansea in both directions as much as possible in order to ensure the viability of the business for the long term benefit of the whole community.”

To celebrate our first anniversary and combining it with our love of rugby, we at Fastnet Line are giving you and a friend the chance to win a free trip to the Wales v Ireland Six Nations clash which takes place in Cardiff on Saturday 12th March at 5 p.m.

In order to be in with a chance to win please email your answer to the following question to info@fastnetline.com

Q. In their last meeting at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff in 2009 who scored the winning drop goal for Ireland?

Congratulations to Kate Leavy, winner of the return trip and match tickets to see Wales v Ireland Six Nations clash! Enjoy your sailing and the game Kate!

If you don’t win you can still travel with us to Cardiff at some really great prices.

Prices start from €60 per person without reserved accommodation, €78 per person with a reserved pullman seat and starting from €98 per person sharing return including a two berth inside cabin. All of these prices for foot passengers with bus transfers extra. We also have great deals if you want to bring your car.

Sailing on Friday night 11th March at 20.30 and arriving at 08.00 in Swansea on the morning of the game, Fastnet Line will provide bus transport for those travelling as foot passengers to Cardiff from 09.30. Supporters will then have plenty of time to soak up the pre-match atmosphere before the game which kicks off at 5 p.m.

Buses will again take supporters back after the game in plenty of time to check in for the departure of 23.50 and the ferry will arrive back in Cork at 12.00 noon on Sunday 13th March.

Julia will be in dry dock in Swansea from next week. Her schedule will be as follows.

The last sailing before annual dry dock will be on Thursday 13th January from Cork to Swansea departing at 20.30 hrs. Julia will remain in Swansea while undergoing annual maintenance up to and including Wednesday 9th February. Her first sailing will be at 20.30 hrs. from Swansea to Cork on Wednesday 9th February 20111.

Bookings can be made on www.fastnetline.com up to three hours prior to departure.

A sincere wish to all of our customers, suppliers, crew and staff for a happy, peaceful and safe Christmas. Thank you for your support in 2010 and we look forward to work with you throughout 2011 and to welcome you on board Julia during the year. It has been our pleasure and privilege to serve you.

Our biggest thanks, respect and admiration go to the people of the West Cork Tourism Co-Op whose courage and vision has made this dream a reality and has restored an important link between Ireland and the UK which has proved yet again to be of vital strategic importance in linking our two countries.

It has been our privilege to provide this service to people wanting to travel in times of crisis and gridlock at our airports whether it be due to volcanic ash clouds or snow and ice. Let us never underestimate the value of a ferry service to island nations.

Recently Fastnet Line received a “Highly Commended” award from Swansea Bay Tourism at their annual awards ceremony held recently in Brangwyn Hall Swansea. The category was called “Co-operating to Compete” and recognises the efforts that Fastnet Line has gone to in connecting with local businesses in the South Wales area in an effort to promote them to Irish customers.

In June 2010, Fastnet Line hosted over eighty tourism businesses from the Swansea area on board the Julia under the banner “Working Together”. Following that initial contact it took varios business offerings from these providers and promoted them on its website www.fastnetline.com as well as making them part of its marketing message to the Irish consumer.

Fastnet Line will continue to work with Swansea Bay Tourism and other stakeholders in South Wales to continue to promote the area in the Irish market.

Also on the Irish side of the water, Cork Chamber of Commerce have just announced that Fastnet Line has been shortlisted for Cork Company of the Year. The winner will be announced at the gala dinner hosted by the Chamber on Friday 4th February 2011. We are extremely proud of all of our staff and crew who have worked so hard in 2010 and thank them for their terrific efforts which are being recognised in this way. Thank you.

Fastnet Line has now published the BES prospectus on the website at the following page http://www.fastnetline.com/invest.html The investment scheme which is for Irish taxpayers gives a great incentive to higher rate taxpayers allowing them to deduct the qualifying investment from their total income for tax purposes thereby obtaining relief at their highest marginal rates of tax.

The Fastnet Line, which is due to launch its inaugural sailing to Swansea on March 1st next, has unveiled its upgraded and updated website, powered by Granite Consulting of Cork and Skibbereen.

Commenting on the website, Ann Cronin, Marketing Manager of Fastnet Line said: “The launch of the upgraded website is aimed at giving the Line a clean, professional look that reflects our product offering in a simple, to-the-point and attractive fashion.”

Conor Buckley (CEO) of Granite Consulting told us: “Our Company provides on-line marketing strategies that are guaranteed to increase sales for our clients, or we give them their money back!”
“Managing extensive Google advertising budgets on behalf of clients, they are assured of increased sales through the effective use of our services.Maximising Fastnet Line’s website will yield the results needed and ensure the continued influx of bookings for the Cork to Swansea route.”

Now open for bookings on www.fastnetline.com, this year-round service, which will carry passengers, cars, commercial freight, campers/caravans, bikes (and pets!) will run 6 nights a week, with additional sailings in high-season, i.e. July and August.
Sailing will be overnight departing Ringaskiddy, Cork, at 21.00 hours and arriving in Swansea at 07.00 a.m. next day.

With a capacity of 1860 passengers, 440 cars, 40 trucks/trailers, and 300 cabins (including 14 deluxe cabins), the MV Julia is well suited to the route and to the enjoyment of a mini-cruise en route to Swansea. With a number of bars and restaurants, an on-board cinema and retail space, a new children’s area, casino, kennels and extensive deck areas to enhance the experience, there is no doubt but that this route adds an exciting new option for consumers and businesses alike.